Suzuki
Suzuki (鈴木), the self-proclaimed the "Beautiful Suzuki" (known as Suzuka in the FUNimation English version of the anime), calling himself Onji (Old Bloke in the English Manga) throughout the course of the tournament and known as Tanaka during his childhood, is an apparition who participated in the Dark Tournament. He was the former founder, owner and captain of Team Uraotogi, now an ally of Yusuke Urameshi. In the anime television series, Suzuki is voiced by Kazuyuki Sogabe in Japanese and Jeremy Inman in English. As Onji he is voiced by Takashi Taguchi in Japanese and by James Fields in English. He is called Suzuku '''in Yu Yu Hakusho The Trading Card Game. Appearance Suzuka; Onji.jpg|Suzuki as Onji. BeautifulSuzuka.png|The beautiful Suzuki Suzukaandmini-Shishiwakamaru.jpg|Suzuki without his mask and with Shishiwakamaru on his shoulder. Suzuki mentions that he is a master of disguise, having 999 faces at his disposal. Although the truth behind this true tall tale still remained unanswered, Suzuki did however posses the power to shape-shift, being able to change his size, appearance and voice so as not to be identified by the general public. Originally at the Dark Tournament, he takes the form of '''Onji, an old man with a gray mustache, shoulder length hair, bushy eyebrows, long ears, and a large nose. His clothes at the time are a simple orange vest and pants, a shirt of a greenish yellow shade, sandals and a black cap with two horizontal, red lines. When he does a small incantation, his appearance changes to a clown with long, spiked, yellow hair, a mask covering the right side of his face, a red ball nose and a painted tear drop bellow his left eye. In this disguise he wears a pink jester's jacket and matching pants. Later we see him bandaged, but without his makeup and extravagant clothing, he looks very normal and "human", with no physical demonic qualities whatsoever, to the point that Kuwabara and Kurama had trouble recognizing him. Later on, when Kurama comes to collect him, Jin, Shishiwakamaru, Toya, Chu and Rinku at Yomi's behest, he is seen in normal clothing with shorter yellow hair. Personality Suzuki is a rather flamboyant person, who believes that being in the spot light means everything. He is noticeable from other participants of the tournament, in the fact that he is both vain and incredibly arrogant. His behavior is a bizarre combination of childish fits, an obvious god complex and egomania. He purposefully participated in the Dark Tournament under the disguise of an old man, only to surprise the spectators and his fellow participants by transforming back into his original clown like outfit. This was a means as to build up their interest in him, philosophically reminding people that all gods and devils of various religions and folklore are shrouded in mystery and ambiguity. As such, he claimed that after proclaiming himself as a god to the entire world, his followers would interpret his image differently after he has died. Creating one adaptation that will be more marvelous then the previous one. Suzuki sees himself as no less than a genius and along with Genkai's approval, attributes all of Team Uraotogi's victories to his incredible craftsmanship. But his physical strength and his muscular structure were noted to have been merely for show. They were a simple means as to scare masses of people, rather than an advantage against an actual fight with any real warriors. Genkai refers to him as a hack when it came to fighting, using deadly force as a means to attract attention. Such honest insults were more than enough to gravely agitate and enrage Suzuki, who immediately lashes at the elderly martial artist. He formally believed himself to be so beautiful, that Suzuki originally refused to be addressed to by his given name without the word "beautiful" being placed in front of it. He considers it to be insubordination, and would become violent should anyone refuse his request, willing to destroy almost a quarter of the stadium because of this. Another interesting aspect about his personality, is Suzuki's intense dislike towards the elderly. He considers that all old people are disgusting and useless due to their wrinkled skin, weakened bodies and foul smell. Such hatred led him to consider suicide, as to avoid becoming an elderly man himself. After losing to Team Urameshi within the Dark Tournament, and later becoming an ally of theirs, Suzuki gave up his self-absorbed views on life and admitted that he had been wrong about gaining fame. He becomes much more friendly, calm, and humble (and surprisingly more serious), he gives up on becoming a god all together, but still shows occasional signs of arrogance and narcissism (more prominent in the English dub), as he still becomes irritated when someone doesn't add "beautiful" to his name. His persona as Onji, was an intelligent, cheerful and cunning old man who is able to make correct observations about Team Urameshi's powers and limits, as well as psychologically pull Kuwabara into a trap he fell into before. Like the rest of his team, he shares arrogance and a disregard for his comrades, viewing them to be no more than pawns for his ambitions. Suzuki seems to be friends with Shishiwakamaru as seen when Shishiwakamaru seemingly lost during the Makai Tournament, Suzuki reacted with concern. Synopsis History During his childhood, Suzuki was named Tanaka and referred to himself as being a formidable fighter. Its at this time that he had stumbled upon Younger Toguro, whom he challenged to a fight. Tanaka was easily defeated by merely 3% of his adversary's strength (30% in the manga). As he expected to be killed after losing the fight, Toguro calls him a pathetic and spineless coward, sparing his life because he was not worth it. This loss soon became a great influence in Tanaka's life, who vowed to kill Toguro in a future Dark Tournament. As a young adult, Suzuki forms a band of low-level demons, whom he augments the strengths of to the level of Lower B Class through the use of magical items that he had crafted. He then fashioned for each of them a name and fighting style, based off Japanese folklore and legend. Dark Tournament Saga Under the disguise of Onji, Suzuki enters the semi-finals where he is set to fight Kuwabara. Using his spirit sword, Kuwabara rushes into battle, but Suzuki's speed is unmatched. Kuwabara gets angry, and Suzuki agrees to stand still. Suzuki creates a black energy sphere and Kuwabara charges into it. He explains that he was the one that created the items used by Team Uraotogi, and that he can employ the same power as the cape of no return, transferring Kuwabara to another location by passing him through another dimension. He then rolls the dice, and is pitted against Genkai. She tells him to take off his mask, and that she will not be so easily fooled by his tricks. He then transforms, and explains that he wore the disguise because his hatred for the old would only increase his power in battle. He angrily snaps at the referee for not addressing him as beautiful, and then tells Genkai that he will soon kill all the elderly people in response to her soon demise. The match begins and he tells Genkai that she will not be able to employ the same technique she used on Shishiwakamaru, as he can mask his power level. Using the rainbow cyclone, he throws Genkai through the wall, but she emerges unscathed. She then reveals that that she managed to take his red ball nose without him realizing it. She tells him that she doesn't plan on using her spirit energy, that he isn't worthy of it. He agrees to fight using his bare fists, as well. Genkai overpowers him, though, and manages to break his back. At the ten count, Suzuki loses. After realizing that he lacks the potential to defeat Toguro, he gives Kuwabara and Kurama items that would be instrumental in their battles, claiming that he wants to prove to Toguro that brains are superior to brawn and that the underdog can indeed win. In this season, he is last seen gasping in shock at the size of Yusuke's Spirit Gun, which was able to convince him that Yusuke stood a chance against Toguro. Presumably Kuwabara returned the Trial Sword to him, as Shishiwakamaru has his Banshee Shriek again, though he may have made another one for his right-hand man. Three Kings Saga Suzuki is now seen training in a cave, along with Chu, Rinku, Toya, Jin, and Shishiwakamaru, under Genkai's tutelage, and have become upper A Class demons (middle S Class demons in the manga). Kurama comes to visit, explaining that he has contacted them in order to find a way to keep Yomi in check as Raizen's inevitable death grew ever-closer. Six months go by before the six of them are introduced to Yomi, each of them with power levels of approximately 100,000-123,000, making them all S Class demons in the manga. Yomi applauds Kurama's work and appoints Kurama his new second-in-command, and the six become part of his personal guard. After Raizen dies, Yusuke appears at Gandara to unveil his plan for the Demon World Tournament, to which the six of them eagerly jump on. At the Tournament itself, Suzuki is seen using his Rainbow Cyclone Redux in order to win his preliminary match, but it was revealed by Toya that he lost in the tournament and he never stood a chance. In the manga, Toya never makes a statement on Suzuki losing, though he couldn't have gotten further than the 4th round, where he would've lost to Mukuro. Epilogue Only seen sneezing in Demon World when Juri mentions her crush on him in a Human World television interview. (In the Korean translation, due to different superstitions, Suzuki simply shows annoyance). His silhouette can be seen in the OAV, along with Chu and Jin, moments before the second Demon World Tournament begins, along with two featureless shadows that are presumably Touya and Shishiwakamaru. Powers and Abilities Fighting Style Fighting Narcissist: As Onji, he seemed to be a calm and perceptive fighter who noted the enemy's weak points. Once he revealed himself, however, Suzuki was a very unfocused fighter who constantly bragged about how great and beautiful he was and mocked his opponents, rather than concentrate on the battle at hand. His moves were very extravagant and flamboyant, and seemed more for showing off how powerful he was than for defeating the opponent. After his training with Genkai, however, he fights in a much more direct, efficient manner. Due to his relative lack of physical strength, Suzuki focuses on techniques and material innovation in order to win. In fact, the reason he gave Kurama and Kuwabara items he created was to prove that the weapons and techniques he developed were effective. Known Techniques/Moves * Dimensional Travel Sphere '( 次元 ・旅行 ・スフィア , Jigen Ryokō Sufia ), translated as Dimension Travel Sphere ': 'The basis for the power behind Shishiwakamaru's Cape of No Return, Suzuka can send people through an alternate dimension and send them to another location. He does this by harnessing energy in his hands and creating a dark energy sphere that engulfs the target and prevents them from escaping. Then they are randomly transported to another place. *'Rainbow Cyclone '''(レインボー・サイクロン, ''Reinbō Saikuron), '''translated as Rainbow Cyclone' : Suzuka charges energy around him, then spins in a clockwise motion. He sends lines of multicolored energy from his fingers. Each color represents a different harmonic of demon energy. :* 'Rainbow Cyclone Redux '( レインボー・サイクロン ・リダックス , Reinbō Saikuron Ridakkusu ) , translated as Rainbow Cyclone Ridax ''': After his training with Genkai, he learns a more powerful version of the technique. The multicolored bursts of energy from his hands leave in a spray-pattern that resembles Yusuke's Shotgun technique. After using this technique, the sky is covered in bright colors. *'Body of Steel Muscle Explosion' (爆肉・鋼体, Bakuniku Kōtai')'' ,' translated as Detonation Steel Body''' : Instead of just focusing on energy-based attacks, Suzuka can also channel his power into his muscles. This makes them expand, to such a degree that his shirt was torn off. Supposedly, this increases his physical capabilities. He claims that this is the same move that Toguro uses (when in fact Toguro is only revealing more of his true form and Suzuka is only expanding his muscles), to which Younger Toguro sneeringly calls him a featherweight. *'Energy Blast: '''Suzuka was shown to fire a regular energy blast. Named in Yu Yu Hakusho: Dark Tournament. *'Shapeshifting: Suzuka was able change his size, appearance and voice. *'Energy Masking:' He is capable of changing the harmonics of his demon energy so that he cannot be harmed by the Spirit Reflection Blast. He can also mask his energy so that others cannot sense his true power. *'Skilled Craftsmanship: '''Although he was a poor fighter, Suzuki was skilled in creating unique mystical arms of battle. His craftsmanship is even remarked by Genkai for making the very tools and weapons that aided his team's victories in the Dark Tournament. *He also is seen throwing a playing card as a projectile, fitting with the Jester theme, as well as unleashing a burst of blue energy at the audience. *Suzuka possibly possesses telepathy as he is seen responding to Kurama's thought that he didn't think of him as much of clown than he did during the semi-finals. Items Crafted *'Steaming Spheres''' (奇美 ･ 団子, Kibi Dango, literally translated as Strange Beautiful Sweet Dumpling): A set of spheres invented by Suzuki and used by Kuro Momotaro . The spheres, when crushed and inhaled by Kuro Momotaro, provided him with one of three Beast Armors (Ape, Phoenix, and Wolf). In addition to granting him invincibility from an already-exposed attack of an opponent, the armor granted Kuro increased physical attributes. *'Idun Box' (闇 ･アイテム ･ 逆玉 ･ 手箱 , Yami Aitemu : Gyaku Tama Tebako, literally translated as Dark Item･Reverse Jewel Hand Box): An invention of Susuki used by Ura Urashima . When opened, the box releases a bluish-purple smoke which, when inhaled by anyone other than the box's possessor, regresses he or she back to an earlier stage of life. *'Cape of No Return' (闇 ･アイテム･ 死出 ･ の ･ 羽衣, Yami Aitemu: Shide no Hagoromo, translated as Dark Item: Feathery Robe of Deathly Emergence): An invention of Susuzki used by Shishiwakamaru . The power of the cape originated from Suzuki's Dimensional Travel Sphere. Due to this, the cape can manipulate space and send anyone or anything that gets caught in it is sent to another location in the three worlds. *'Trial Sword' (試し ･の ･ 剣 , Tameshi No Ken, translates as Sword of Trials; The Trial Sword in the English Dub): A weapon that Suzuki made from a tree in Spirit World. The sword had the ability to absorb and enhance the energy of its wielder to its possible fullest at the time it is used and change into whatever weapon suits the wielder. The sword was used by both Shishiwakamaru and Kuwabara at different points in the Dark Tournament. For Shishiwakamaru, it became the Banshee Shriek, while it became a stronger variation of the Spirit Sword when used by Kuwabara. *'Fruit of the Previous Life potion '( 前世の実 ･ の ･ 薬 , Zensenomi no Kusuri )' ', translated as Previous World's Fruits / Medicine : After being beaten by Genkai in the Dark Tournament, Suszuki gave Kurama an elixir that was made from the Fruit of the Previous Life, a fruit handpicked from the upper realms of the Spirit World. The fruit possesses the ability to revert a person to an earlier stage in their life, serving as the basis for the smoke for Ura Urashima 's Idun Box. It was also the very potion that Kurama used to access his Yoko Kurama form at will. Trivia *Contrary to popular belief, Suzuki and the other 5 fighters recruited for Yomi are not A Class Demons, but S Class. This is proven as Shachi, Hokushin and Kiri, S Class Makai Generals have Rei-Ki of 36,000-89,500 while Jin, Chu, Toya, Shishiwakamaru, Suzuki and Rinku all have Rei-Ki of over 100,000. *Despite not having met or spoken with Yusuke at all (like Rinku, Touya, Shishiwakamaru, M1, M2) (unless one counts him appearing to mock him as Onji) until the Three Kings saga, Suzuki is respectful and loyal to Yusuke. This may be due to the giant Spirit Gun he saw (which convinced him that Yusuke had a shot against Toguro), or that fact that he defeated the man who humiliated him. *He claims to have 999 techniques he can use, though we were able to see fewer of these techniques than even Rando's 100 stolen techniques (including Spirit Gun or in his case Demon Gun). *It is mentioned that Suzuki is the main concept for Hisoka, an antagonist/deuteragonist from Togashi's latest work, Hunter x Hunter. However, it is unsure whether Togashi re-use Suzuki's concept as a clown to create Hisoka. *His name was changed to Suzuka in the English version due to merchandising reasons so as to not conflict with the automobile corporation Suzuki. In the blu-ray dub his name was changed back to Suzuki and most of the lines referring to his name were redubbed to fit this (though there was one moment in the Dark Tournament arc by Kurama, another by Kuwabara in the same arc, and one more in the Three Kings arc by Tōya where he is still called Suzuka). Jeremy Inman also rerecorded most if not all of his lines as the character for a better performance. References Navigation Category:Characters Category:Demons Category:Male Characters Category:Middle A-Class Demons Category:Lower S-Class Demons Category:S-Class Category:Yusuke's Allies Category:Alive Characters Category:Former Villains